Silent valve-operating mechanism



June 23, 1925. l 1,543,438

A.E.HUTT` SILENT VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 4, 1924 4Sheets-Sheet l I lllllllll .i

v Y I ATTORNEYS.

June 23,1925.4 1,543,438

A. E. HUTT SILENT VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 4, 1924 v 4Sheets- Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS,

June 23, 1925. y 1,543,438

A. E. HUTT SILENT VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 4, 1924 4Sheets-Sheet 5 vINVENTOR;

Y ATTORNEYS A. E. HUTT S`ILENT-VALVE OPRATING MECHANISM AFiled Sepi. 4,1924 4 SheeS-Sheet 4 INVENTOR:

' be hereinafter fully pointed out in the speci- Patented J une, 23,1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT. o FFlcE.

.ALBERT E. BUTT,A 0F ABDMORE, PENNSYLVANIA.

Y SILENT VALVE-OPERATING -MECHANISHL Application {.led September-4,1924. Serial No. 785,755.

valve operating mechanism to allow for thev expansion of the variousparts due to the heat generated in the engine, is made to occur withinthe said cam follower, which is so made and disposed that the closing ofsaid gap is effected without the objectionable noise prevalent in otherdesigns.

To the above ends myl invention consists of an outer shell or sleevewithl a iiange at its lower end, an inner shell or sleeve sliding withinsaid outer shell, also with a Bange at its lower end, and a springplaced inside the outer shell and which is compressed by the end of theinner shell, when the latter is pushed into the former, so as to bringthe vtwo flanges in contact except for an intervening film of oil fromthe time' the valve begins to open until said valve is closed, saidflanges being slightly out of contact during the period said valve isclosed.

It further consists of a valve operating -mechanism embodying a novelconstruction of cam follower used in conjunction with a cam and othervalve operating parts, all so designed and constructed that the break orgap which is allowed'for expansion of the various parts due to the heatgenerated 1 in the engine, occurs between parallel coacting metallicsurfaces, which are part of said cam follower, and means provided sothat the closing of said break or gap is affected without noise.

It further consists of other novel features of advantage andconstruction, all as will fication and claims.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown in theaccompanying drawings forms thereof which are at present preferred byme, since the same have been found in practice to give satisfactory andreliable results, although it is to be understood that the variousinstrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously iarranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to theprecise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities asherein shown and described.

Fig. 1, represents a side elevation, of my novel cam follower and itsadjuncts, the coacting parts'of the internal combustion engine and itsadjuncts being shown in dotted lines, and the cam sh-aft being shown insection, said ligure showing my invention as applied to a valve in headengine.

Fig. 2, represents a view similar to Fig. 1,

showing my novel invention as applied to an L or T head engine.

Fig. 3 represents on an enlarged scale a vertical sectional view of thecam follower and its adjuncts. y

Figs. 4 and 5, represent side elevations of modified embodiments of myinvention.

Fig. 6, represents a side eleva-tionof another embodiment of myinvention, wherein a friction roller is interposed between the camfollower and the actuating cam.

Fig. 7 represents a vertical sectional view, partly in elevation,showing another embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 8, represents a vertical sectional view of another embodiment of myinvention.v

Figure 9 represents an outline of the preferred form of cam employed.

Figures 10 and 11 represent elevations partly in section ofthe elementsseen in Figures 4 and 5 together with their eoacting parts, and showingm novel form of cam follower used in con]unction with closed vjointintermediate said cam follower and:

valve.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings In Fig. 1, have shown my novel cam follower asapplied to a valve-in-head engine, while in Fig. 2, I have shown myinvention as applied to an L or T head engine.

In carrying out my invention, which is applicable to any conventionaltype of poppet valve internal combustion engine, I employ a novelconstruction of c'am follower 1,

which comprises an outer shell or sleeve 2,y

having a flange 3 on its lower end. 4 desi nates an inner sleeve or rodslidin within said outer shell 2 which is provid with a bott/om an'ge 5,having the peripheral oil retaining ange 6, which however, may beomitted if desired. 7 designates a spring contained within the outershell 2 and having its lower end resting on the upper end 8 of the innershell, and its upper end'abutd tin against the shoulder 9 of said outershe When the parts are in the position seen in Fig. 3, the spring 7 isunder compression, its function being to tend to separate the juxtaposedsurfaces of the flanges 3 and 5.

'Ihe spring has the further function ofkeeping the joints between theparts 10 and 11, l2 and 13 and 14 and 15, closed against opposing forcestending to open them.

The push rod 37 forms the actuating means between the upper portion ofthe cam follower and the rocker arm of the valve actuating means. Itwill thus be seen that the above mentioned spring is so made that itwill overcome the inertia forces of the inner shell and the atmosphericpressure and surface tension of the oil between the two flanges 3 and 5,(both of which tend to keep said two flanges in contact once they havebeen brought into contact) thus assuring that the iange of the innershell will remain in contact with the cam at all times.

It will further be seen that said yspring will keep all open joints,such as ball and Socket or their equivalents if such are used, in thetrain of valve operating parts closed during the neutral part of the camaction, that is, while the follower is contacting with the base circleof the cam.

By assuring that the base flange 5 of the inner shell is in constantcontact with the cam and that no other joint breaks during a revolutionof said cam, the break or gap provided for expansion is obviously boundto occur between the two flanges and these being so made and disposedand collocated that a vsilencing medium, as a film of oil or itsequivalent, is interposed between their coacting surfaces, the closingvof the gap which occurs just before the opening of the valve is eectedwithout noise. 16 designates a port located in the flange 5 for therelief of air pressure engendered or oil withinthe outer shell 2. 17designates a cam on the cam shaft 18, whereby the cam follower isactuated.

In Fig. 4, I have shown another embodiment of my invention, which issubstantially the same as the construction seen in Fig. 3, except that Ihave shown the bottom of the flange 5 in the form of a sphericalmushroom 19 instead of a fiat mushroom as in Fig. 3. In Fig. 6 I haveshown the flat mushroom seen in Fig. 3, as provided with a roller 20journalle'l in the lugs 21, said roller contacting with the working faceof n the cam 17. In Fig. 7, I have shown the uli construction seen inFig. 3 as seated in a pan 22, which is pivotally supported at 23,

on the lever 24, which in'fturn Imay be pivoted at 25 to any suitablefixed point. 'Ihe surface 27, which is integral with the iever 24 movesas a unit therewith, and is in contact with the cam l17. It will beunderstood that the upper portion of Fig. 7 is the same as the upperportion of Fig. 3.

In the upper part of Figs. 4 and 5, I have shown a form of joint 28composed of the upper and lower members seen therein pivotally connectedtogether, which maybe substituted for the joint seen at 10 and 11 inFig. 3, if desired.

In Figures 10 and 1l I have shown the construction seen in Figures 4 and5 as collocated with the upper joint element-49 above which extends thethreaded stem adjustably connected to the rocker arm 51 fulcrumed at 52,and having flexible connection at 53 to the valve stem 54, these latterelements being similar to those shown in my contemporaneously pendingapplication Serial No. 716,293, tiled yMay 28,- 1924; In Fig. 8 I haveshown the ball 11 as seated in the socket 28", in the flange 29, whichis seated in the pan shaped member 30, having the pendant tubularextension 31, which terminates in the ange 32. The flange 29 has apendant stem 33, which is contained in the chamber 34 and rests on thespring 35, Whose bottom end rests on the wall 36.l

It will be apparent that in all the embodiments of my invention thejuxtaposed coacting metallic surfaces of the flanges 3 and 5 are incontact except for an intervening film of oilfrom the time the valvebegins to open until said valve is closed and are out of contact duringthe period said valve is closed and there is no impactreceiving memberof yieldable material such as a cushioning disk interposed between saidflanges.

The operation is as follows: r

As the cam 17 rotates it raises the inner sleeve 4 compressing thespring 7 and closing.

the gap between the two flanges 3 and 5, after which the inner andlouter shell raise as one unit and through the train of valve `nperatingparts seen in Fig. 1 pushes on the valve stem 15 thus unseating andopening the valve 38. As the cam rotates still further, the follower 1moves downwardly due to the pressure transmitted by the valve spring 39through the train of valve operating parts, until the valve is seated,when the valve spring ceases to function. The train of valve operatingparts at this time however, have inertiawhich tends to carry them alldown still further a distance equal to the difference between the radiiof the clearance and base circles of the cam 17. In my invention it isessential that only the inner shell in said 'construction as shown inFigs. 3, 4, 6 and 7 or outer shell shown in Fig. 8 should continue itstravel, and that the other shell remain stationary, so that the gapshall occur between the two flanges and nowhere else. There are variousways of doing this, two of which I will now describe.

1. By making all joints between the valve stem and the outer shellclosed joints such as shown in Fig. 10, or any other suitable joints.

2. By so designing and constructing the cam contour, that for a briefperiod after the valve has seated the follower would travel around theclearance circle which would bring all the train the valve operatingmechanism to zero ve1oc ity thus nullifying the inertia forces acting onthe valve operating parts, after which the contour of the cam would dropas desired to the base circle. The spring between the inner and outershells is adequate to overcome both the inertia of the inner shell andthe atmospheric pressure and surface 'tension ofthe oil between the twoanges and to withstand the weight of the outer shell and other'partsused in the valve operating mechanism. It will be apparent from thelower portion of Fig. 1 that as the iianges 3 and 5 are contained in thecrank case 26, that they will be effectively lubricated at all times andthat there will be at all times a thin iilm of the lubricant containedbetween the juxtaposed surfaces of said flanges which will effectivelyserve as a silencing medium. The shell 2 and its adjuncts is guided inits movements in the bushing or its equivalent 40.

It will be evident that various types of cams 17 may be employed inconjunction with my novel cam follower, I however, prefer to employ thenovel construction of cam seen in Figure 9, whereinfthe area 41 to 42 isthat section of the cam contour or working face that raises'the disc onthe sleeve or rod a distance equal to the clearance allowed forexpansion, and thereby brings the two parallel faces of the discs incontact. The area 42 to 43 is that section of the cam contour that opensthe valve. The area 43 to 44 is that section of the cam contour thatcloses the valve. The area, 44 to 45 is that section of the cam contourthat follows the clearance circle and'which therefore brings all thevalve operating parts to rest or to zero velocity. The area 45 to 46 isthat section of the cam contour that allows the linner sleeve or rod todrop' to the base circle thereby providing the gap for expansion andassuring perfect closing of the valve.

47 designates the base circle, and 48 the clearance circle of the cam.In Figure'9 I have shown the preferred construction of the cam, the area41 to 42 beinga. combination of a circular arc construction being usedfor the area 45 to 46.

of moving parts in.

and a tangent to the v base circle and to itself,` the same form ofl Itis evident however, that other forms of Having thus described myinvention what i I claim as new and useful and desire to Secure byLetters Patent, is Y `1. In -a device of the character stated, a valve,a cam follower, an operating train intermediate said valve and camfollower, a spring take up in the latter, tending to produce theclearance within said cam follower only, in combination with a camcoacting with said cam follower and having a. contour which brings the.whole operating train to a standstill before producing said clearance,so that the spring take 'up will have to overcome the' weight of thetrain alone and not the inertia forces.

2. In a valve operating mechanism, the combination of' a valve, a camfor actuating said valve, a pluralit of parts interposed between saidvalve an cam, coacting metallic surfaces in contact except for theintervening lubricant, means' for bringing the various partsintermediate said 4valve and cam to a state of rest at approximately thetime the valve seats, and a spring positioned to produce ance betweensaid parallel coacting metallic surfaces against the opposingstaticforces only after of rest, and to Iovercome the inertia of the parts,intermediate said spring and cam.

3. In a valve operating mechanism, the combination of a valve, saidvalve, the contour of which produces a state of rest to the variousparts intermediate said cam and valve at approximately the timev thevalve seats, a plurality of parts interposed between said valve and cam,including parallel coacting metallic surfaces in contact except for theintervening lubricant, means for providing oil between said parallelcoacting metallic surfaces, and a spring to produce the clearance forexpansion between said parallel coacting metallic surfaces against theopposing static forces only after the various parts intermediate said`cam and valve have been brought to parts Witnesses E. HAYWARDFAIRBANKs,

E. A. Comune.`

including parallelv the expansion clearthe various partsA intermediatesaid camand valve have been brought to a'state a cam for actuating

